NEW YORK (AP) — Google’s ambitious new smartphone, the Pixel, doesn’t offer a lot that’s new. Yet it’s still one of the best out there. Google achieves that by pulling together the best features from Apple, Samsung and other phones and offering them at prices comparable to iPhones — starting at about $650 for the…
6 Key Things to Know About Apple’s New iOS 10 Software
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Your iPhone will look and feel different with the iOS 10 software update. It will be easier to move around and do more without switching apps, but the changes will take getting used to. The changes are the most dramatic since 2013, when Apple redesigned icons and introduced functions with swipes from various…
Review: The iPhone 7 Is Just Fine, Even If It Doesn’t Wow
TIBURON, Calif. (AP) — Apple’s new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are clearly improvements on their predecessors — even if the biggest change is actually an omission (of the traditional headphone jack). But are they improved enough to justify an upgrade? If you’re an iPhone user, it may depend on how long you’ve held onto your…
Samsung Updates Smartwatch, Lenovo Ditches Laptop Keyboard
NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung’s next smartwatch will come with GPS capabilities and the ability to call or text for help by triple-tapping a side button. The new Gear S3 retains the circular design of the current S2 model, but is slightly larger. Samsung will still sell last year’s S2 to those who consider the…
If 1 Lens on a Phone Camera Is Good, Are 2 Better?
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple isn’t saying much about its next iPhones, but there’s been plenty of speculation that the giant Plus model will have two camera lenses side by side on the back. Why? A second lens could make photos sharper or give amateur shutterbugs blurring techniques more common in full-bodied SLR cameras. Apple…
Android Makers Really Want to Make Their Phones Eye-Catching
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s getting rarer for phone launches to generate excitement these days — especially in the Android world, where all models use the same underlying Google software. Every year, phones get routine refreshes such as faster processors, better cameras and longer battery life. But Android phone makers haven’t given up trying to…
Smartwatches Are Getting Smarter, Though Not Quickly Enough
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple and Android smartwatches are getting better as their makers sand off the rough edges that have frustrated many early adopters. But the improvements are just small steps in a long journey to convince people they need a computer on their wrist. The Apple Watch, for instance, promises faster app launching…
Samsung Challenges Fitbit with $180 Fitness Tracker with GPS
NEW YORK (AP) – Just in time for summer, Samsung is unveiling a new fitness tracker that aims to undercut gadgets from market leader Fitbit. Beyond offering all-day step counting and automatic sleep tracking, the $180 Gear Fit2 comes with GPS sensors for more accurate measuring of distance and pacing for runners and cyclists. GPS is…
Why Your Phone May Never Get Android’s Latest Features
NEW YORK (AP) — Better graphics and the ability to run two apps side by side are coming to Google’s latest version of Android, dubbed N. But chances are good that this free software update announced Wednesday won’t arrive on your Android phone for some time — if ever. (If you’re an iPhone user, rest easy;…
Review: Beyond Size, What You Get and Give Up with iPhone SE
NEW YORK (AP) — Unless you take a lot of selfies or need a bigger phone, Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone SE is a good choice at a good price. You get the same 12-megapixel rear camera that’s in the much larger iPhone 6S, but for $250 less, at about $400. You also get the same speeds…